I Need Your Help
by elsiecarson
Summary: AU Severus survived the war and is in a relationship with Madam Hooch. I have used Xiomara as her first name here. She starts panicking when she thinks Severus is going to propose. She gets a little help from a friend.
1. Help! I Need Your Help!

"Minerva I need your help." Xiomara says in the staff room one day. She mentions it casually.

"What's wrong Xiomara?" Minerva asks as she looks up from her marking.

"Severus is taking me out to dinner at a fancy restaurant and I don't really know what to wear. I'm not used to wearing dresses, so this is odd for me." Xiomara says running her fingers through her short, spiky hair.

"What do you need me to do?" Minerva asks the confusion evident in her voice.

"I need your advice on what to wear. I know Albus took you to the restaurant in Hogsmeade that Severus is taking me to. You're my best option." Xiomara says with a smile.

"Where exactly are you going? Did Severus say he was taking to the posh Italian restaurant or the French restaurant in Hogsmeade?" Minerva asks as she sets her pen down.

"The Italian restaurant, as far as I know. At least that's what Severus said." Xiomara says as she thinks carefully.

"That's a lot more upscale than the French restaurant in Hogsmeade. I wonder if Severus is building up to something big. He doesn't usually go for such nice dates." Minerva wonders.

"To be honest with you I've been wondering the same thing. Ordinarily he's fine going to the pub, but this time he was very insistent that we go this really nice Italian place. He even said he'd made reservations. He never does that! Will you help me?" Xiomara asks with a panicky tone of voice.

"Of course I will. Just let me finish marking this essay and then we can get started." Minerva says picking her red marking pen back up.

"You seem very stressed out about this situation, Xiomara. Do you not want to get married?" Poppy Pomfrey asks from her seat in front of the fire.

"I don't know. Severus and I are very close. I love him very much, but I don't know if I'm ready to get married, which sounds silly at my age. With the role he played in the war he made a lot of enemies. This whole situation makes me nervous." Xiomara says as she walks over to the sideboard and pours herself a cup of tea.

"I hope that's not me you're talking about." Severus says with a smile. He wraps his arms around Xiomara's waist. "If it is you haven't been talking to me about your troubles."

"Severus Snape you've gone soft in your advancing years." Minerva teases.

"Severus, I don't always voice all my concerns, but they're still there. I just want you to be safe." Xiomara says turning in Severus' arms.

"You're terribly sweet, my dear. I'll be fine. I'm well aware of all the enemies that are still out to get me." Severus says holding Xiomara tightly for a moment.

"Xiomara if we're to accomplish your task tonight then we'd best get going. It might take a while." Minerva speaks up though she hates to interrupt the moment between Xiomara and Severus.

Xiomara looks down at her watch. "Yes, you're quite right. I must get going, my dear. I shall see you at dinner later."

"You executed that beautifully, Xiomara!" Minerva says as the two ladies leave the room giggling together.

"He doesn't have any idea what we're up to. He's going to be so surprised when he sees me on Saturday night!" Xiomara says with excitement in her voice.


	2. Fashion

"Do you know what colour you want to wear? I might have something you can borrow." Minerva asks gently.

"No offense to you Minerva, but for this occasion, I think I'd rather have a dress of my own." Xiomara says quietly. "I'd like to wear emerald green, I think. It's Severus' favourite colour. Would you suggest a long dress or a short one?"

"A short, elegant one would be appropriate for the restaurant. Perhaps something with a little bit of beading. I've got some catalogues we can look through." Minerva states calmly. She knows Xiomara will take her advice.

"I think a slinky, knee-length dress in emerald green would be perfect, maybe a one-shouldered design." Xiomara says as she thinks very carefully.

"I know exactly the designer I'll look at for your dress. In fact, I know a shop in Hogsmeade that carries the designer that I'm thinking of. We can go now to that shop and pick out a dress for you." Minerva says as they walk towards her room that she shares with Albus.

"I'd love to go shopping with you. Maybe we can go to dinner out just the two of us. I'll send Severus an owl to let him I'm safe." Xiomara says planning her evening out. She enjoys spending time out of school with Minerva.

"That sounds great. I'm just going to change out of my heavy school robes. Why don't we meet in the foyer in 15 minutes?" Minerva suggests. "If you're going to be trying on dresses you should wear pantyhose and high heels."

"That's a great idea. I'll see you shortly." Xiomara says as she walks towards her room.


	3. Shopping

Minerva scrawls a quick note to Albus letting him know where she is before she goes into the bedroom to change. She picks out a dress that is light fabric and is knee length. She sits on the edge of the bed and takes off her high-heeled teaching boots replacing them with sensible navy blue heels. She lets her hair down out of her tight bun. She puts the front of her hair up and pins it off her face. The students would never believe it was her she looks so different. She grabs a sweater for later out of her wardrobe before she leaves the room. She walks quickly through the castle down towards the first floor jumping trick stairs as she goes. When Minerva arrives in the foyer Xiomara is already there.

"Ready to go?" Xiomara asks when she spots her friend.

"Absolutely, I left Albus a note so he won't be concerned about where I am." Minerva says with a smile as the friends leave Hogwarts.

"You've gotten better at figuring out what you need to tell your husband so you can have some alone time. You're brilliant, Minerva! I just hope I'm that smart when I get married." Xiomara says as the friends laugh together.

"He's always concerned about me because of his role in the war. I'm sure Severus is very protective of you too because of what he did. Albus and Severus are very similar that way. They're very protective of the people they care about. It's a quality I admire very much." Minerva says as they walk across the grounds of Hogwarts.

"Severus is very protective of me, too. In fact, he's so protective of me sometimes I feel stifled by him. I know he only does it because he cares about me, but he doesn't always realize how overwhelming he can be. He played such a vital, dangerous role in the war that he knows that he's put me in harm's way, unintentionally, by trying to be happy with me. We love each other so much. I can't believe how far we've come together." Xiomara says as Minerva shuts the gate behind them. The two ladies walk slowly towards Hogsmeade village. "Minerva, how did you feel when Albus proposed to you last year?"

"I can hardly remember that night. I was overwhelmed the moment he got down on his knees. I can hardly remember what he said, but I do remember the absolute elation I felt. He made me feel so special. He was concerned about me rejecting him to try and protect him. When I saw the look on his face that night I couldn't say no even if I wanted to in order to protect him. You'll understand when you see the look on Severus' face. I know you don't always see the way he looks at you, but I do see the way he looks at you. He absolutely adores you. When Severus proposes just enjoy the moment and consider recording what he says because everyone will ask you what he said. I'm sure he's got it all planned out now we just need to get you set." Minerva says as she opens the door to the small dress boutique and allows Xiomara to go in ahead of her. "Hello, Muriel! We're going to need your help. My friend here needs a fabulous cocktail dress for a fancy dinner on Saturday night."

"Right, Madam Hooch, what colour would you like your cocktail dress, for your big occasion, to be?" Muriel asks as she approaches Xiomara.

"My boyfriend's favourite colour is emerald green. I'd like my dress to be tight, one-shouldered, and lightly beaded, if possible." Xiomara says firmly.

"I know exactly the dress you have in mind. I'll pull it for you and put it in a dressing room for you." Muriel says with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Thank you, Muriel." Minerva says kindly. She's known Muriel well for three years and has come to Muriel for all her special occasions.

Xiomara sits down on a chair in the store and pulls her high heels out of her over-sized handbag. She slips her flats off and puts her heels on.

"I wondered where you had put your high heels." Minerva chuckles at her friend. "Now go try on that dress that you want so much."

Xiomara smiles at her friend as she walks on unsteady feet towards the dressing room. "It's been so long since I've worn high heels I can't walk." Xiomara laughs.

"You, my friend, need to practice walking on those heels before Saturday or you'll crash and burn. Severus will be carrying you home." Minerva teases.

"You're terrible! I remember a time when you weren't so steady wearing high heels either, my friend." Xiomara says as she pulls the curtain across the dressing room. She slips out of her work outfit and slips into the cool, silk emerald green cocktail dress that Muriel brought for her. "Minerva, can you zip up my dress for me?" Xiomara asks from inside her dressing room.

"Course I can. Come on out and I'll zip you into the dress." Minerva says from her seat just outside Xiomara's dressing room.

Xiomara steps out of the dressing room and pushes the curtain back. She walks up to Minerva on unsteady feet. She feels beautiful in her dress. She turns her back on her friend and Minerva slowly moves the zipper up. She then puts her hands on her friends' shoulders and turns her around." Xiomara you look stunning! Severus is going to be amazed! You look so feminine! I've never seen you look that wonderful! That is your dress for dinner Saturday night. What do you think?" Minerva says as she looks at her friend.

"I think this dress will make Severus fall on his knees and propose instantly. It's sexy, elegant, and feminine. I've never felt this beautiful in my entire life. Severus will be surprised when he sees me. He's only seen me in a dress twice before at other people's weddings. I just need some accessories to go with it. This is my dress!" Xiomara says with a wide smile.

"Muriel, wrap up this dress; we're leaving with it. Come on, Xiomara, we've got other things to do tonight. Go get changed while I figure out where we're going to get your accessories. Do you have shoes to wear?" Minerva calls through the curtain.

"Did you see the shoes I have on? They're the only high heels I have." Xiomara says as she changes out of her dress.

"Well, we'll have to change that. Are you ready to go? I know exactly where to take you." Minerva says as she fingers some of the garments on the racks.

"Professor, when will I see you in here for another special occasion dress? It's been a while since I've been able to help you out." Muriel says with a smile as she watches Minerva.

"I know, but there's a big Ministry of Magic event coming up in about three months, so I'll probably be in before for something fabulous." Minerva says with a smile.

Xiomara comes out carrying her new dress over one arm. "I'm ready to go. Muriel, thank you so much for your help. Severus will be thrilled with this." Xiomara says gratefully.

"Wait, your date is Severus Snape? I never thought I'd see the day. It sounds like the two of you are truly happy." Muriel says with a smirk. Severus Snape is notorious for being unemotional.

"Good Merlin, I thought everyone knew about my relationship with Severus. I thought Albus would have told the entire town by now. Come on, Minerva, let's get moving." Xiomara says rolling her eyes.


	4. Shopping and Dinner

The two friends walk slowly down the street and enter a small shoe store. Minerva walks around the store, tapping her finger against her mouth, and picking shoes for Xiomara. Xiomara keeps rejecting shoes until Minerva pulls a pair of emerald green velvet pumps off the shelf. In her infinite wisdom Minerva has picked out a pair of shoes with a lower heel that Xiomara can actually walk in.

"Where to now?" Xiomara asks as she pays for her shoes and watches the salesperson put them in a bag.

"One more stop at the accessories shop three doors down. Unless you have some jewellery you can wear, we should get that next." Minerva says as she holds the door open for her friend.

"I have a necklace that is very special to me that Severus gave me for Christmas, but I don't have really nice earrings or a really nice bracelet." Xiomara says thinking carefully.

"This is a great place to go, then. Julie has a great eye for finishing off an outfit with the perfect piece of jewellery." Minerva says as the two women walk down the street. Minerva's heels click loudly on the cobblestone on the almost deserted street.

"I know Julie. I went into that shop when I was trying to pick out a Christmas present for you." Xiomara smiles at the memory.

"Was that the year you got me that beautiful pin? I didn't know that Julie picked that out. I wear that pin on my cloak all the time!" Minerva says with a gentle smile.

"Yes, Julie and I picked out that pin for you. I trust her opinion immensely." Xiomara says as Minerva opens the door to Julie's shop.

"Hello ladies," Julie says to the two professors. "How can I help you?"

"I need your help, Julie. Severus is taking me out for a nice dinner here in Hogsmeade, at that nice Italian restaurant, but I don't have nice accessories to go with the dress and necklace I've got." Xiomara explains to Julie.

"What colour is your dress? What accessories did you have in mind?" Julie asks trying to formulate a plan in her mind.

"My dress is emerald green and the necklace Severus gave me has an emerald in it. I'd like some fabulous earrings and a bracelet for my outfit." Xiomara says calmly.

"I have the perfect earrings and bracelet combination to go with your dress." Julie says pulling out a couple of options for Xiomara.

Xiomara looks carefully at her options. "I don't know that I want anymore emerald jewellery with a green dress, but this diamond jewellery is beautiful. Which earrings do you like, Minerva?"

"I like the drop earrings. Then you'll be able to see them better with your short hair." Minerva says looking at the two options.

"I think so, too." Xiomara says picking up the pair of earrings and the diamond tennis bracelet. "These will be perfect. Severus won't know what hit him when I see him on Saturday night."

"Isn't that the truth? Look, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Let's head to The Three Broomsticks for dinner." Minerva says tiredly.

"I know. I'm tired of shopping and I'm starving. Let's go have a nice meal." Xiomara says picking up all her bags.

"That sounds wonderful!" Minerva smiles gently.

The two walk into Madam Rosmerta's pub and find a table. "Good evening, ladies. How can I help you?" Madam Rosmerta asks as she approaches the table.

"We're just here for dinner, Rosmerta. If we can just get some menus that would be great." Minerva says quietly.

"Of course, I'll be serving you personally. I'll go get menus and come back and take your drink order." Rosmerta says kindly. Rosmerta walks across the floor of the pub with her hips swaying. She picks up two menus and walks back to the two professors. "Can I get you two ladies your usual drinks?" Rosmerta asks as she sets the menus down. She's known the two professors since they started teaching at Hogwarts.

"I'm going to have a large Gillywater rather than my usual small." Minerva says rubbing her temples. It was a very long day at the school.

"I'll have a honeyed mead. I need a warming drink tonight. It's cold outside." Xiomara says. It's not her usual drink, but she wants something different tonight.

"Absolutely, I'll get right on those drinks. Take your time with the menu." Rosmerta says with a smile.

Minerva watches Rosmerta walk away from the table. She is terribly beautiful woman and Minerva can see why the men in the pub all fall for when they've been drinking. Rosmerta is also a very kind woman who makes the people at the pub trust her and talk to her about their innermost secrets. She is an impeccable barkeep. Minerva slowly peruses the menu and her square glasses slip down her nose. She knows all the items on the menu at The Three Broomsticks by heart, but she likes to look over the menu anyway. Rosmerta likes to change dishes at the pub with the seasons and currently the dishes are getting heartier as the weather gets colder. She loves the heartier meals Rosmerta has set up for the winter.

"Alright, ladies, what can I get for you tonight?" Rosmerta asks pulling out her notepad.

"I'll have the beef stew, please." Xiomara requests. Stew is such a great winter meal.

"I'll have the bangers and mash with the veggies, please." Minerva says rubbing her nose under her glasses. She's getting a headache after having a very long day with her students. She had to reverse four very badly done transfigurations and she had a row with Albus before her work day even got started. It's nice to have some quiet time away from the school.


End file.
